Katahdin Region Community Wildfire Protection Plan

The State of Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Maine Forest Service, Forest Protection Division is seeking an environmental consulting firm to develop a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the Katahdin Region located in Northern Penobscot County. The project encompasses three municipalities—East Millinocket, Millinocket, and Medway—along with sixteen unorganized townships, with the primary objective of addressing wildfire mitigation and enhancing community resilience in the Wildland Urban Interface. The CWPP development is mandated under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 and is justified by significant regional wildfire activity, including 582 fires and 477 acres burned during 2010-2019, with the 2025 fire season alone producing 852 wildfires causing damage to 22 residences and 47 other structures. Qualified bidders must submit proposals through the Vendor Self Service (VSS) system no later than May 8, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. local time, with proposals to be opened the following business day. Submitted questions regarding the RFP are due by April 24, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. local time. Proposals must include completed appendices addressing qualifications, experience, proposed services, technical requirements, and cost proposals, and must incorporate geospatial analysis tools including ESRI ArcGIS and state Geographic Information System (GIS) data. The RFP coordinator is Kent Nelson, Forest Ranger Specialist, and further information is available at kent.nelson@maine.gov.

The RFP document does not specify set-aside designations, restrictions on respondent types, disadvantaged enterprise requirements, or incumbent vendor information within the provided materials. No existing contractor or current infrastructure requiring integration has been identified in the available documentation. The contract is aligned with the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program and supports Maine's Forest Action Plan objectives, though the specific contract term duration, award values, and budget ranges have not been detailed in the provided RFP excerpt. Prospective bidders are advised to contact the RFP coordinator for comprehensive details regarding pricing terms, funding amounts, and any other contractual specifications not outlined in this summary.